


The Art of Waiting

by CMi (CmiMiu)



Series: DaeJae [7]
Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Museum, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Artworks, Bittersweet, Bittersweet Ending, Cute, First Kiss, First Love, First Time, Forbidden Love, Heartbreaking, Heavy Angst, Love, M/M, Meet-Cute, Museums, Mutual Pining, One True Pair, Painting, Pining, Romance, Sacrifice, Sad, Sad Ending, Sad with a Happy Ending, Tragic Love, Tragic Romance, True Love, Waiting, art students, paintings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 21:46:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13303914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CmiMiu/pseuds/CMi
Summary: Youngjae stumbles across an artwork in a museum. Everything goes downhill when he falls in love with the boy in a painting.





	The Art of Waiting

**The Day Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
Youngjae curses his professor for the fiftieth time for as he takes another sharp left and comes up with another gallery full of statues. He is locked. In a museum. And no matter how many times he thinks back at the incident, he isn’t at fault! Not this time at least. He had clearly told Mr. Bang that he needed to go to the loo and had asked them to wait up for him. Right? He can’t remember clearly right now, but he must’ve.

A look outside the tall, floor to ceiling windows that lined the museum’s gallery, has Youngjae biting his lips nervously. With urgent footsteps, Youngjae eyes the setting sun and makes a break for the emergency exit at the end of the hall he has been wandering around. Of course, bad luck seems to be his only companion in the now abandoned museum and he finds the door bolted locked. His breathing quickening, Youngjae crouches down into a fetal position and watches as the shadows casted by the statues and paintings grow darker and taller as the sun sets.

Shakily, Youngjae crawls around a wall that separates the statues gallery with the area reserved for paintings. Muttering to himself to “stop acting like a child and man up” Youngjae, for once, tries to ignore his intense fear of the dark and manages to stand up on his feet using the white walls as a support.

And that’s when he sees it.

Moonlight slithers towards the paintings, the shadows growing darker, giving way to darkened, obsidian floors that shine like black diamonds. Youngjae watches fascinated as the moonbeams continue to crawl forward covering every painting in its wake in a silvery shine. He is barely aware that he, too, is hidden under the night’s covers as the last of the paintings gets touched by the moon’s light.

Mesmerized would be just a fraction of what he feels when he watches the monochrome painting ripple under light. And not a second later, the boy dancing in the rain twitches. His breath stuck in his throat, Youngjae is flabbergasted as he watches the boy in the painting shudder and shake his head as if waking up from a deep slumber. Staring blatantly with his mouth open, forgetting about his phobia of the dark, the boy is rooted to the spot in the dark where the shadows of a larger painting hide his figure.

The boy in the painting blinks, his eyes shining, black marbles. His red silk shirt ripples as he moves, the rain in the painting seeming to not affect him. And he makes to walk.

Youngjae never thought himself crazy before. Not the time he spilled salt over his brother to make the evil spirit possessing him vanish. Neither did he frown when his second-grade teacher called him weird for wanting to become a dog when he grew up. He’s unique like that, and he takes pride in it. But, when sees the boy in the painting, he starts to think he might be a little crazy.

Because the boy steps out of the painting as if walking out of a door.

The scream that elicits from Youngjae’s lungs is horrifying and could give any horror movie actress a run for her money. The boy from the painting jerks around as if burned and has the classic caught-in-the-headlights look on his face. They stare at each other in a static silence that shrouds them in a shivering eye-lock. Youngjae becomes painfully aware that maybe the boy is more frightened than he is. Unsteady footsteps make Youngjae move and he walks heavily towards the shaken figure of that boy from the painting.

And it’s all very dreamlike. The moonlight that falls elegantly over him. His full lips that shine scarlet. The vermillion silk shirt he dons. The boy’s blood red, corduroy jeans that look almost black. The cherry red hair and the salmon pink dusted cheeks.

Of course, just like everything fantastical thing in Youngjae’s life has to have a not-so-fantastic, rather jarring end, the boy raises an eyebrow. Suddenly, the scared puppy look is replaced by an air of superiority and a cattish smirk. The boy folds his arms across his chest and with a haughty jerk in his steps, saunters over towards Youngjae. Stopping just in front of the Youngjae, the boy snorts and blows his hair out of his eyes and mockingly states.

“Well, aren’t you a piece of art, Baby?”

And Youngjae faints.

*

When he comes to, Youngjae’s first reaction is to scream again but he is stopped short when The Boy from The Painting places a hand over his mouth. With a displeased frown, the boy makes a gesture with his index finger as if warning Youngjae to not make a sound and doesn’t let go until Youngjae fervently nods in understanding.

The Boy slowly removes his palm from Youngjae’s lips and leans back on the balls of his feet with a sigh when he doesn’t make to yell again. An electrified moment passes and the boy starts to speak. His voice, like pearls, falls lightly on Youngjae’s eardrums. “Thought you were dead there for a moment, Gucci Boy.”

Getting his bearings back, Youngjae scrambles away from the boy, only to find a wall blocking his escape. “Y- you!” He yells, pointing at the boy with the amused grin. “Wh- what!? What a- are… Wha- what do you want from me!?”

The Boy from The Painting, rolls his eyes and gets to his feet, dusting invisible dirt off his jeans. He shoots a helping hand towards Youngjae, who only curls away from the limb as if it were a weapon of mass destruction. Chuckling pleasantly at Youngjae’s apparent fear of him, the boy walks back never looking away from him, “What I wanted was to take a stroll outside until sunrise, David.” He shrugs, his collarbone jutting sinfully from under the unbuttoned collars. Pointing his index finger at him, the boy from the painting smirks. “You were the one who went and fainted after seeing me.” Jutting his thumbs in his jeans, he wonders in an afterthought. “How are you even in here at this time in the first place?”

“My class left without me while I was in the b- bathroom.” Youngjae gulps.

The boy hums, accepting the response and whistles lowly. “Well, you’re welcome to follow me out.”

Youngjae squints at the suggestion. He’s highly aware of the fact that the possibility of the boy being a bloodthirsty spirit out for his blood, is not off the charts. Heck, the boy might even be an alien for all Youngjae knows. But, the fact that the museum will be closed tomorrow and the day after until Monday rolls in is a little daunting, if not highly frightening, to Youngjae. So, despite his every instinct screaming at him to not follow the retreating figure in front of him, Youngjae gulps and moves.

“Wait for me!”

*

“S- so… Wh- what are you…? Exactly?” Youngjae finds himself asking after fifteen minutes of walking in some underground tunnel that The Boy from The Painting convinced him to walk into.

The Boy from The Painting turns back to him with a lazy smirk and blows a kiss at him and sends salutes with two fingers to him. “I’m Daehyun.” He then proceeds to laugh merrily at his own joke. The sounds is still too otherworldly for Youngjae.

“A- are you a g- ghost?” Youngjae hates how scared he sounds but can’t seem to control the wavering in his words.

Daehyun turns to him with raised eyes and shoves his shoulder against the boy’s lightly. “Hey, no need to be so scared, Picasso. I’m as harmless as a pet kitten.”

Of course, Youngjae doesn’t believe him, but then Daehyun laughs again and Youngjae finds himself calming down instinctively at the echoing giggles. After a while passes, where the silence is punctuated with boots that slosh in the watery tunnel and nothing but the sound of their breathing filling the closed off walls, Youngjae finds the courage to continue. “If…” Daehyun turns to him surprised. As if he never expected Youngjae ever speak again. “If you’re not a ghost… What are you?”

Daehyun turns around and, with his hands in his jeans pockets, starts walking backwards, while still facing Youngjae. “It’s been a hundred something years since I’ve been a Duende. Before that I used to be a human.” He shrugs as if talking about his favorite ice cream flavor.

“D- Due- Duende?”

“It’s a long story.” Daehyun then turns around and, as if on cue, a door seems to have appeared in front of him. He produces a key from his jeans’ pocket and swiftly opens the door. And before he even has the chance to question the existence of the key, Youngjae finds himself being gently ushered out of the door, and into the open outdoors.

“We’re out now!” Youngjae exclaims in a whispered wonder, eyeing the shimmering city lights that flicker around him.

“Of course, we are, Dumbo!” Daehyun snorts. “And it’s Goodbye, now!” With that he shoots him a two-fingered salute and turns to walk away.

Thinking fast, Youngjae grabs his hands before Daehyun can fully turn away and desperately gasps out. “Wa- wait!” He wrecks his brain for something to say, but doesn’t come up with anything.

“In love with me already?” Daehyun smirks in all his confidence.

Youngjae sputters at that. “I- I just… How do I know you won’t try to kill me in my sleep after going away?” He echoes the thoughts that have been plaguing his mind ever since Daehyun offered to help him out the museum.

Confusion colors Daehyun’s features as he ponders out loud. “Why would I want to kill you? That too in your sleep?”

“Because I know your secret now.” Youngjae is quick to respond.

Daehyun snorts and inches back into Youngjae’s personal space bubble. He smells like rain water and fresh dew on dry grass, Youngjae notes. “Listen here, you Abercrombie Fitch model .” He calls placing a heavy hand over his shoulder. “You could go tell the world about me, and I wouldn’t care. Know why?” He leaned in close and with his lips daringly close to Youngjae’s ears, whispers. “Who’s gonna believe you?”

“What do you… mean?”

“You’re not the first to know about me.” Daehyun states casually, leaning away. “And you sure as Hell won’t be the last.” He pats Youngjae’s face condescendingly and explains. “There have been hundreds. And all of them try to go and tell the world about me and you know what happens to them?”

With a wavering voice, Youngjae echoes, “w- what?”

“They end up getting locked in mental asylums and the rumor that I am ‘haunted’,” he makes finger-quotes at the word haunted, “because I end up turning people into maniacs, only gets solidified. Which in turn makes me all the more mysterious; which leads me to becoming all the more priceless.” He then steals a kiss from Youngjae’s cheeks and rushes away screaming at the top of his lungs, “So really, you’ll be doing me a favor if you do spill the beans on me, Sweetie!”

Youngjae stands petrified to the ground. Holding his cheek where Daehyun had kissed with a flabbergasted expression. Watching Daehyun skip away and into a roadside soju bar tent.

 **3 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
"So you, like, just get teleported back into the painting once the sun rises?" Youngjae wonders out loud waving his chopsticks around. His soju glasses clattering noisily with the green soju bottle as he tries to refill it. "Or do you actually have to go back and enter like you exit out of the painting?"

Daehyun heaves an annoyed sigh and leans back into the plastic chairs of the soju bar tent. Grabbing his own pair of chopsticks, he makes a show of aggressively stabbing the meat in the hot plate in front of them and shoves the piece into his mouth. "You're more annoying than any of the others who caught me, you know?" He grumbles under his breath.

Ever since Youngjae had seen Daehyun coming out the painting three days ago, it's been a constant interrogation routine for Daehyun. The mystical boy had very quickly realized that Youngjae was unlike any other human he'd come across till date. Usually after finding out about Daehyun's identity most people either went on a crazy rampage about "The Haunted Painting" or simply ran away never to be seen again. But, Youngjae being the unique individual that he was, chose to stay.

Of course that meant more than just not running away.

  
Youngjae had become somewhat of a stalker, really. After sleeping the night’s adventures off, Youngjae had woken up fresh and early and had somehow remembered the way into the museum through the secret tunnel Daehyun had escorted him out of. He had beelined his way towards the paintings exhibit area with a two liter bottle of soda and three bags full of hamburgers. And if that wasn't enough, the boy had actually sat in front of Daehyun's Painting staring at the immobile boy in the until the sun finally set. As if waiting for a bomb to explode. The fact that it was closed for the next two days and Youngjae was the only one there, didn't help the creepiness.

The very day, as soon as the moonlight had touched the gold-trimmed painting frame, Daehyun had jumped out of the painting with an infuriated expression marring his otherwise pleasant features.

"What the Hell are you doing here!?" Daehyun had asked.

Youngjae had watched him walking of the painting and had been sporting a look of deep admiration as he responded. "So you can only come out at night, huh?"

Daehyun had balled his fists and glared threateningly at the college student "I asked you what the HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!? WHY HAVE YOU BEEN STARING AT ME!? I'M NOT SOME CLOWN OUT HERE FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT, YOU HEAR ME!?"

"I wanna be friends" Youngjae had replied.

And Daehyun's fists unclenched.

Long story short, they'd come to an agreement that Daehyun would let Youngjae 'hang out' with him and in return, Youngjae would stop staring at the boy consistently until the day ended.

"Seriously though," Youngjae insists in all his eagerness. He turns around in his seat grabbing the empty soju bottle at screams, "one more bottle, auntie!" before turning back to the mesmerizing boy in front of him. "Is it compulsory for you go back into the painting every morning? Why don't you try staying back?"

Daehyun rolls his eyes, takes a huge swig of his own tonic and winces at the strong acid running down his throat. He turns his attention back to the younger and nods his head noncommittally. "Yes, it is, Youngjae. You think I never tried?" Once again he winces but the alcohol isn't the perpetrator this time. It's a memory. "It hurts. A lot. It's like burning without a way out."

A silence falls between the two that's accompanied by the restless air of the small food tent they are having samgyupsal in. As the clacking of chopsticks fills the awkwardness between them, Youngjae racks his brains for something to say. "How did you become one, though?"

At that Daehyun smirks, any hints of pain, vanishing from his eyes. "That," He leans forward on the table, his cool breath grazing Youngjae's wet lips. "Is a story for another time, Baby Boy."

He gets up and walks away, leaving Youngjae slurping away the last of his noodles and screaming at Daehyun to “wait for me!”

 **13 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
As per Youngjae's request, Daehyun is waiting at the museum entrance. He has been ever since the sun set. Has been doing this everyday for the past thirteen days now. Ever since he met Youngjae.

Tapping his foot impatiently against the concrete pole, the boy is morbidly close to bailing and running off to some club for the night. Youngjae is late and Daehyun had allowed him to follow but had never promised to wait. He thinks he should probably start searching for some club now. He's been waiting for more than an hour, after all.

But he doesn't.

Soon, the running figure of a boy approaches him and he let's the corners of his lips lift in an invisible smile before turning them down and greeting Youngjae with a poker face.

“Sorry… for… keeping you wa...waiting.” Youngjae manages between heavy breaths. His hands on his knees as he heaves due to the sudden run.

“I wasn't waiting.” Daehyun grumbles and turns away to walk down the red lighted signal.

Youngjae following close behind, muttering “wait for me” with a silly frown.

*

“Where were you, anyway?” Daehyun asks over the rim of his coffee in faux nonchalance. They're in some coffee shop that Youngjae recommended and Daehyun is pleasantly surprised by the menu options.

Youngjae, who is busy licking his wafer, looks up from the task and shoots Daehyun a lopsided smile. “I had an assignment with my lab partner.”

With a raised eyebrow and a look of something close to wanting, Daehyun asks, “you were at school?”

Youngjae groans at that and nods his head fervently. Eyes popped and lips in in a pout, the younger of the two whines, “yep! Life sucks, Daehyun!” He huffs and shoves a saran wrap into his mouth. Falling into the table in front of him, Youngjae wails at the boy, “I swear I envy you! At least you don't have to write essays and worry about deadlines!”

They continue eating, but Youngjae doesn’t miss how Daehyun goes quiet after. The look of wanting in Daehyun's eyes turns into a distant longing. And soon their time together for the day is up.

The alarm in Youngjae's cell phone rings alerting the two boys that sunrise is an hour away. They pack away their items and are on their way to the museum when Daehyun finally speaks.

Walking down a quiet alley to get to the exit of the secret tunnel they use to get out of the museum, Daehyun hangs back before he enters. He turns to Youngjae, and the boy can make out an air of heaviness settle between. But he doesn't know what could've caused it.

“You're lucky, Youngjae.” Daehyun mumbles. A bitter smile shapes his lips and he cards his fingers through Youngjae already messy locks. “I'd give anything to live your life. Anything to get away.”

 **47 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
“I always wanted to try riding one” Daehyun mumbles, eyeing the roller coaster in the amusement park they were walking past.

Youngjae eyes the boy quietly before asking, “you've never been to one?” When Daehyun turns to him, humming in question, Youngjae explains while pointing at the park's entrance. “An amusement park. Haven't you ever been in one?”

A rueful smile shatters his lips and Daehyun shoves his hands in his jeans pockets and shakes his head a no. Shrugging, he explains, “they're never open by the time I can get out.” Turning to Youngjae he smiles, trying to pretend nonchalance, “I've been to some that are open at night, but none recently. Nowadays, they close earlier than they used to before. Never got to ride anything though.”

“How come?”

“I never have any money. Whatever booze I buy or food I manage to get is from exchanging stolen items from people.”

“How long has it been?” The younger one echoes as they pass a cherry blossom tree. “Since you've been to one?”

“A hundred and forty two years.”

*

“Ho- how did you…” Daehyun trails off, stepping in through the park's gates.

Youngjae snickers and grabs Daehyun's hands pulling him towards a hot dog stand. It's unmanned but that doesn't seem to bother the boy as he goes around the back and starts making them sandwiches. “A Hyung of mine works as the manager here.” He explains gesturing towards the mustard bottle, asking Daehyun if he'd like the condiment in his sandwich. When Daehyun simply nods, still very much dazed, he continues. “I had to beg a lot, but he agreed to let me in for a night.”

That night, they spend their short hours together hopping one ride to the other. Eating poorly cooked corn dogs that Youngjae slaves over and sipping on kiddie juice boxes that fit right into Daehyun's hands. Laughing until their sides start hurting and their eyes tear up, the boy's almost miss the alarm for the sunrise ring.

It's what has Daehyun racing back to the museum with ketchup smudged on his lips. Youngjae screaming, “I'll be a little late tomorrow. But wait for me, okay?”

 **74 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
It's a Sunday and just like every Sunday since they've met, Youngjae is sitting patiently in front of Daehyun's painting, waiting for the sun to set. The museum is closed and the fact there are no visitors means that Youngjae is a free to do whatever he likes. He chose to bring along his homework.

He doesn't even realize that the sun has set, being stuck in the loopholes of complex integration problems, when a body slides down beside him on the cold marble floor. Daehyun's face comes to settle beside his Calculus textbook, his body lying close to Youngjae's crossed legs.

“Tired of waiting on me already?” Daehyun titters but there's a sense of worry in his words that Youngjae can't shake. As if he's expecting Youngjae to really grow tired of waiting for him to leave the painting every night. As if he's worried that Youngjae might leave entirely.

Smiling a boxy smile, Youngjae plucks at Daehyun's locks, pushing them back to show more forehead. “Even if I'm tired of waiting, I'm not gonna leave.”

Youngjae knows he's not imagining the tears that cling on to Daehyun's deep cherry red eyelashes. He's proud to have consoled the boy's fears but knows that the worry won't leave him. Not for a long time. So, choosing to not ponder too long on the fact, he starts to pack. Ushering Daehyun to help him so they can leave the museum faster.

*

Today is quieter than any other days they've spent together. They're at a ice skating rink that Daehyun had suggested but the scene is completely different from what the boy from the painting had imagined.

For one, Youngjae isn't smiling like a Cheshire cat on crack like he always does.

And two, the younger boy looks to be in some deep inner monologue about existence itself.

“What is it?” Daehyun asks as they slide into a bench for a short rest. There's fear evident in his words but Youngjae can't put a finger on the reason why.

The younger boy, with a. Frown marring his features, turns to Daehyun and holding his hands into his own calmly begins. “I've been thinking a lot about this. Just- Just hear me out, okay?”

All the color from Daehyun's face seeps away at Youngjae's words. Without wanting to, the words tumblr out of his wobbling lips. “You're tired of being friends.”

The fact that he states it rather than ask gives Youngjae enough insight to know that if Youngjae chose to leave Daehyun, it wouldn't be the first time for that to happen. It breaks his heart to know that someone would actually do that, because he knows he'd never do it.

“What away sure you talking about?” Youngjae shoots back unabashed. “Why would I be tired of you?”

Daehyun's eyes grow double their size at the fierce sincerity in Youngjae's tone. And he fumbles for words, suddenly embarrassed by his own accusation.

The younger boy grabs Daehyun's shoulders it onto a tight hold and shakes his gently edging closer. “You're my best friend, Daedae. I'd never get tired of you.”

“I- I am?” The shock is evident in the elder's gaping mouth that forms an ‘O’.

Youngjae snorts a little skittishly and nods his head fervently. “You listen to all the songs I recommend to you. You like the hot dogs I make even though I, myself, hate them. You laugh at literally everything I say and it's not because you pity me but because you genuinely find me funny. You give me silly nicknames and you ruffle my hair. We watch anime together, read manhwas together and you also know my favorite porn artist's name! Heck we've been meeting every night ever since we've met! We don't miss a day!” He cups Daehyun's face into his long, long fingers and squeezes his cheeks as he finishes, “and when I ask you to ‘Wait For Me’, you always do.”

“I…”

“You're my best friend, Daehyunie.”

A tear drop runs down his cheeks as Daehyun rolls his eyes and shoves away Youngjae hands from his face. He punches the boy in the ribs and bites out angrily, “What were you talking about just now, then?”

As if just remembering what he had been saying, Youngjae snickers and explains happily. “My college just started night courses for art students a couple of weeks ago.” He looks like he's waiting for some kind of reaction from Daehyun but, when Daehyun's face reflects confusion, Youngjae rolls his eyes and exclaims in exasperation. “You should apply as a student. You can attend classes that way!”

The fact that Youngjae looks more excited than Daehyun at the news is what compels Daehyun to shyly, albeit openly, declare.

“For what it's worth, you're my best friend too… Jae.”

 **135 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
Today's venue is a couple cafe in the middle of Hongdae. Youngjae looks extremely at the prospect of checking their compatibility with each other, so naturally Daehyun acts like he hates the idea. Truth be told, he's a little nervous about the outcome himself.

They order their complementary coffees and start working on their worksheets. For once, Daehyun is glad that they're there at night because they're the only two customers at the cafe. He doesn't even want to imagine the numerous people sending them side glances.

Because friends don't do such things together.

But, honestly, Daehyun doesn’t mind. He really doesn't care what people think or who points fingers at him. As long as it's Youngjae, anything is fun.

Even writing about his diet in detail.

Soon they are done and hand in their worksheets to the cafés psychologist. Only when Daehyun makes to grab the tissue papers does he realized just how clammy his hands are. He's anxious now.  
  
“Don't worry” Youngjae's voice whispers close to his ears. He turns slightly to catch the boy leaning back. It's happened before, a lot, but Daehyun is still amazed by how easy he is to read for Youngjae. “Even if she says we should never be friends, I'm gonna stay, alright?”

And for once, Daehyun doesn't have the heart to feign nonchalance. So he simply nods.

*

“I knew we were a hundred percent compatible.” Daehyun smiles as he looks up at the clear sky. His hands in his jacket pocket.

Youngjae snorts and loops his arms around Daehyun's, snuggling close to him. “As if! You were worried we'd be completely incompatible.”

“I was not!”

“Was to!”

“Was not!”

“Was to! Was to! Was to!” The younger sticks his tongue out, giggling behind his hands.

Daehyun falls silent then. And Youngjae soon mellows down as well. It's then that they realized that their postures, their intertwined arms, is not a platonic, friendly skinship. But neither pull away.

“I don't wanna lose you, Jae. You're the only one who chose to stay.”

Emotions flood Youngjae as he bites his lips and he nods. Patting Daehyun's chest lightly, he abruptly changes the topic and Daehyun smiles because he knows the boy is embarrassed by Daehyun's confession.

“You've got to get to class soon. I'll see you in two hours. Wait for me, okay?” Youngjae moves his hands away from Daehyun's chest.

“I always do, don't I?”

 **156 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
They are sitting under a steel canopy of a slide in the mini playground near Youngjae's hostel. It's raining and Daehyun. wonders what exactly clouded his judgment enough to agree to go and have a drink at the boy's room.

"I knew this was a fucked up idea the moment you opened your mouth, Jae!" Daehyun shrieks annoyed and nods as another bolt of lighting soars through the dark sky. In hindsight, maybe they shouldn't have chose the steal slide to take refuge under.

Youngjae, who is curled around Daehyun's smaller body, bites his lips as another roar of thunder echoes around them. A frightened whimper escapes his lips and he tightens his hold on the elder. "H- How was I supposed to- to know that it'd rain!?"

"Whatever." As a lighting bolt falls too close to the ground they are sitting on. Erupting in frantic sparks on the ground in front of them. "We'll get toasted if we stay here any longer," he declares making a grab for the younger boy's hands. "Come on."

Without waiting for a reply, holding his jacket above his head, Daehyun pulls Youngjae to stand up in front of him. He turns the boy around and pushes his shoulder to make him crouch enough to be able to hide under his oversized jacket and, holding his waist, starts pushing him towards the building where Youngjae's room is.

And Youngjae feels every nerve ending in his body catch fire at the boy's touch. Daehyun's strong arms that hold up the jacket above their heads, frame his body in a protective embrace. Daehyun's warm breaths that hit the side of his neck, those plush lips that brush his collar bone. Daehyun's firm chest against his hunched back.

It doesn't take more than three steps in the pouring rain with Daehyun behind him for Youngjae to fall in love.

*

A low whistle escapes the shorter boy's lips as he steps through the threshold of Youngjae's university dorm room. Pulling his jacket off, he pushes Youngjae out of the way, entering the apartment as if it were his own. Despite dripping from the rain, Daehyun seems unperturbed by his wet clothes.

Youngjae seems to stand at the entrance a little too long. The realization that he might actually like Daehyun is a little jarring to him. He observes, quietly for once, how Daehyun disregards his damp clothes and chooses to drape himself over his worn out couch. How the boys wet hair leave sinful rivulets down his vermillion silk shirt, leaving little to imagination. Daehyun shivers and that's when Youngjae realizes. Again.

He's fairly dry compared to the boy.

As if struck by the very lightning they'd escaped from, Youngjae jerks on the spot and races into the bathroom, bringing back a towel with him. The air, however, turns into electrified thoughts when he places the towel on Daehyun head.

It's a reflex for him, having taken care of almost all of his siblings much like that. They'd loved playing in muddles and it was always Youngjae's job to dry their hair after a warm bath. And that habit had followed him up to college. So much so that his behaviour was now considered normal by most of his university friends, who thought nothing of the boy's immediate sense of familiarity.

But Daehyun isn't just anybody. Youngjae isn't even sure if he's human.

"I can dry my own hair, Versace" Daehyun chuckles taking the towel gently out of Youngjae's hands. Their fingers wickedly touching.

“Wa- wait here for me,” he clears his throat as a distraction to himself and turns away walking jerkily to his kitchen. "I- I'll warm up so- some hot chocolate... or something."

Daehyun hums lowly, his voice sounding deeper than Youngjae knows it is. "I like marshmallows in mine, if you have any." He adds casually. His voice still ringing in a low timber. A whisper.

"W- why are you whispering?" Youngjae shoots at him from over his back as he pulls out his hot cocoa sachets from the overhead cupboard.

Then, everything heats up around him.

Youngjae is fairly aware of the fact that Daehyun had, at some point during his query, moved to stand with him in the kitchen. However, he wasn't expecting Daehyun's intoxicating aroma engulfing him again that night.

Hunched over with his head dipped down, Youngjae freezes as Daehyun places his chin on his dropped shoulders. Daehyun's Adams apple bobbing at an obscure part of his shoulder.

"That's not how you make hot chocolate, Baby."

So, would really blame Youngjae for not moving a muscle as Daehyun, still holding him in a lose, almost nonexistent, back hug, pulls away the cocoa mugs away from his hands? Their fingers touching. Again. A holy palmers kiss.

"H- How do you... make it?"

Never moving away or changing his posture, Daehyun hums in that low grumble again, and starts moving his arms around Youngjae. "Watch and learn."

As if stuck in a game of ice and water, Youngjae stands rigidly while Daehyun maneuvers his hands from around his sides. A touch of his back with Daehyun's wet shirt. A sigh too close to his ears. A hand placed absently over his hips to not fall over, as Daehyun reaches for the mini marshmallows packet on the top shelf. Youngjae can feel his legs, bent to support Daehyun's weight, go numb but he doesn't unfold them.

Because Daehyun's chin is resting against his shoulder blades.

 **178 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
They almost kiss.

It's Youngjae's brother's birthday and Daehyun had offered to help bake a homemade cake to send to the four year old boy, who was all the way in Daegu. It's doesn't take more than fifteen minutes for Daehyun to realize that the kitchen, is nothing but an extra room for Youngjae. And that the boy has never even help a spatula.

“Why don't you just eat a cookie while I get this done, hmm?” Daehyun suggest when Youngjae literally smashes an egg into the mixing bowl, breaking the egg and the bowl in the process.

“But I wanna help!” Youngjae pouts. “You could tell me what to do, Daehyun-ah.”

Rolling his eyes Daehyun relent. Because he just can't refuse Youngjae something, okay!? “Fine, just cut out pieces of fondant with those cookie cutters and leave the rest to me. Okay, Jae?”

The younger happily bounces off with several different sizes kd cookie cutters and a few colorful rolls of fondant that Daehyun had previously shaped.

It takes two hours of hard work, but the result is ravishing. Even if Daehyun does say so himself. He proudly clicks several Polaroids of the cake from every possible angle. With Youngjae exclaiming wonder at Daehyun's cooking skills in the back.

And that's when it happens.

A foot placed wrong is what has Daehyun slipping on fallen cake batter. Youngjae slides in quickly, his reflexes in overdrive and catches Daehyun before he hits the ground.

Of course nothing right goes for the two. Ever. And they end up in a tangle of limbs and sticky chocolate batter on Youngjae's kitchen floor.

It's while they're struggling to get up when Daehyun stops. His eyes suddenly stuck on Youngjae’s lips. Heated vapors rise in the air between them as Youngjae feels Daehyun's thigh sinfully, albeit unknowingly, pressing down hard on to his erection. Daehyun too feels Youngjae's member throbbing beneath his honey thighs and his breath catches in his stomach.

He's suddenly struck with the fact that whatever he's feeling, whatever Youngjae is thinking, is all too dangerous. It's bordering out of their friendship and entering some unknown territory that Daehyun is too afraid to broach

He pushes his arms fiercely on the ground beside Youngjae's face to make some distance between them. But, just when he thinks he's gained momentum enough to get up, the chocolate stuck in his fingers makes him slip and fall heavily on Youngjae.

Their noses brush. Lips brushing the corners of each other's lips. And when Daehyun pushes back a little, their breaths mingle.

That's when Daehyun rolls away and hastens to get to his feet. Without asking for permission, because he's stopped doing that since forever, he makes his way to the bathroom. Explaining that he needs to wash up over his shoulders.

Youngjae, who is still lying stiff as a rod on the kitchen floor fights his urge to voice out the “wait for me.” Something tells him, Daehyun would frown upon the idea of sharing a bath with him.

 **206 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
Everything changes. Everything.

They had been playing a video and after several failed attempts at winning, Daehyun had found out that Youngjae had been cheating. He had attacked Youngjae with the couch pillows and one thing had led to another.

They are now draped over each other. Squished close into each other’s bodies so as not to fall. Daehyun is hovering just inches above Youngjae and Youngjae can feel Daehyun's erection poking his own.

Frozen. They are frozen as the reality of the situation dawns upon them. This isn't the first time. They've been in this situation enough times by now to know what their bodies want.

Daehyun can see the thirst in Youngjae's eyes. The way they seductively stare back at him. The way the younger licks his lips, slowly. Gratingly. How Youngjae's fingers start tracing invisible galaxies over Daehyun's arms.

He gulps heavily, and when Youngjae's eyes snap at his Adam's apple when he does that, Daehyun loses it.

He takes a deep breath. Clenches his fingers through Youngjae's hair. He's aware that it must hurt but, right now, it's the only thing keep him from devouring the boy underneath him.

“You don't want this, Jae.” He pleads. As if he knows Youngjae wants it too. And he isn't wrong.

Because Youngjae chooses not to reply. Instead, he leans up on his elbows and attaches their lips together.

Any resolve Daehyun had, crumbles into nothingness, when Youngjae's warm lips crash against his own in a wet and utterly desperate kiss.

*

  
Daehyun looks down at Youngjae. Their bare chests, sweaty and heaving, brushing in a scandalous manner between them. And he knows. It was all too much, too fast. He isn't ready for what Youngjae wants from him. Can't give it to him because he doesn't know how. Nevertheless, he pushes in.

A moan, desperate and bewitching, escapes Youngjae's lips as Daehyun fills him to the core. The pleasure that elicits the sound is far more intense than the pain from the lack of proper lubrication. His body arches in a perfect semi circle as Daehyun's rhythm remains consistent, keeping him on the edge.

The other stares at the one lying beneath him. Lips bruised from the erratic way they had been pressed against his own. Their sweats mingling into the pillow covers. Youngjae's neckline drizzled with beautiful purple love bites, has Daehyun regretting everything.

But he doesn't stop.

“I can't stay.” He manages to say between his quickly speeding thrusts. “You have to know that, JaeJae. I can't stay.”

  
Youngjae, for once letting the high of the pheromones in the air get him, ignores the boy's words. He doesn't care for them right now as his orgasm takes over him. Curling his body into Daehyun's arm, his throbbing cock in Daehyun's skilled hands, a guttural sound escapes his throat and he comes.

Seconds later, Daehyun does too. Still stroking Youngjae's leaking member. He feels Youngjae twitch underneath him. His semen fills Youngjae’s hole, making the boy all the more sensitive to everything Daehyun does to him.

He knows it's cruel. Daehyun is well aware that what he's thinking of doing just then will only serve to ruin Youngjae more. But he doesn't care. For now.

Shivering at the emptiness when Daehyun pulls out, a whimper elicits Youngjae's lips and he quivers fearfully. It's like he's expecting the boy to up and leave.

Except, Daehyun doesn't make to walk away. “Just for tonight.” He whispers into Youngjae’s neck as he pulls the boy into his embrace. He kisses Youngjae's forehead and Youngjae can hear the warning bells in his brain go off, indicating tragedy in its wakes. But he doesn't care. For once, letting Daehyun deep whisper engulf him. “I'll stay, just for tonight.”

“Don't run away in the morning, please.” Youngjae manages to whisper out. Tears clinging to his eyelashes. It's not pain anymore that has them leaking. Not physical anyway. “Please, wait for me. Don't leave without telling me you're going.”

Something breaks inside Daehyun at the wobble in Youngjae's words. The broken way he speaks. The pleading tone he words his request in.

“Don't worry about that, Baby.” He pulls Youngjae's weeping face into his chest. Taking in the scent of promises and longing, that Youngjae smells of, in. “I'll wait for you.”

 **207 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
Youngjae wakes up to shrieks for help. Wheezing. Crying. Groaning. And blood.

As soon as the sunlight touches his skin, Daehyun starts burning. He's not on fire, but he might as well be at the way his skin peels away, disappearing into thin air as soon as it falls away.

It's horrifying.

That's all Youngjae can think of as he watches Daehyun bleeding away. It's like someone is slicing his arms and pulling away his skin as he turns into a crying ball of pain. And despite wanting to help the boy, Youngjae finds himself incapable of moving even a muscle.

He's stuck to the ground. Eyes popped open in horror at the torture being exacted in front of him.

“L- look- look away, T- Jae!” Daehyun tries to warn him. But try as much he wants to, Youngjae's body has become a stone statue.

He can't do anything but watch Daehyun pleading to him to not look. Imploring him to look away. Begging him to stop the pain.

But Youngjae doesn't look away. He can't. He watches every piece of Daehyun being torn away by an unknown force, only for it to disappear into thin air seconds later.

It doesn't take a genius to know that the boy is being transported back into the painting. Every single piece of him is being taken back to be stuck on to it.

It's hours later when Youngjae is getting ready to leave his apartment. The sun will set within the hour and Youngjae makes a promise to himself.

“I'll find a way to save you, Daehyun. I promise I will. Just wait for me.”

 **237 Days After Youngjae Starts Waiting**  
“I found a way, Daehyun-ah.” Youngjae mumbles into Daehyun's collarbone. They are cuddled into each other in a hot mess. Youngjae's hole is still leaking with Daehyun's seed and Daehyun's lips are still warm after having Youngjae's member between them.

Daehyun hums in question as he follows Youngjae's spine lightly with his fingernails. “Way to what? Where?” Slumber is clinging to his words like the sleepman's spell.

“A way to free you from that painting.”

Daehyun jerks away. As if disgusted. As if Youngjae just suggested something vulgar. Something horrifyingly wrong and barbaric.

“No. You didn't.” Daehyun begins. Voice, a whispered. Terrified and dripping with warning. “That is not a way out, Jae!”

Youngjae slowly sits up, taking Daehyun's hand in his own. For once, he's in control. “It is Daehyun. It is.”

The elder pushes him away in a frenzy. Grabbing his face in his right hand and he punches the pillow beside his head. Growling. “You're not going to do that. I'm not going to let you!”

Youngjae, calm as a dead body, simply smiles and leans up to leave a hot kiss on Daehyun's lips. Pulling away he winces, “you don't get to choose.”

“Please.” A tear rolls down the elder's face followed by several more in quick succession. “Please, please. Please, Jae.”

“I can't watch you being torn apart everyday, Daehyun-ah. But, I don't want to let you go either.”

Anger resurface on Daehyun's face and he punches the pillow a few more times. Sweat dripping down his neck by the times he's done. Youngjae never moves from under him, though. “You won't be able to do it. I'll stop you anyway I can. I'll hide the painting away. Burn it if I have to.”

“You can't stop me, Daehyun. You'll be in the painting by the time it's over.”

“I won't let it happen.”

“Wait for me today.” Youngjae serenely whispers, ignoring his words. “I'll be at the museum.”

They stay staring at each other.Soon, the sun rises. And Daehyun realizes that Youngjae had thought this through. Because now he can't run back and hide the painting like he'd wanted to. He's being torn to shreds as he realizes that Youngjae has decided.

It hurts more than being slaughtered by the sun's rays.

 **The Day Daehyun Starts Waiting**  
Daehyun is stuck in the painting as he watches Youngjae walk up towards him. He tries to break away from the spell. Thrashes around unable to move. Every fibre of him is electrified as he watches Youngjae smile at him.

Youngjae, smiling still, eyes the red drops dripping down the paintings canvas. Down Daehyun's eyes. He wipes them away with a brush of his thumb and leans back whispering.

“I fell in love with you that day we ran in the rain, Daehyun. And I died the day I woke up to you screaming in pain.” He heaves a heavy sigh and whispers. “Just remember to wait for me.”

With that he slices his palm with the pocket knife he'd brought with him, enough to leave a deep, gaping gash. More tears stream down the painting as Youngjae places his bleeding hand on Daehyun's figure and waits for the sun to rise.

The words of the artist who'd place him in the spell ring in Daehyun's ears as he watches, unable to look away.

You can only be replaced once. In the same way you were made. Blood sacrifice.

 **33589 Days Since Daehyun Starts Waiting**  
An old man, with a wrinkled body and blurry eyesight sits patiently in front of the painting in his study room. With shaking limbs that ache of old age, he plucks the tiny pocket watch next to his urine bag. He smiles when he sees that sun rises is mere minutes away.

He's waiting for the painting to come live again just like it does everyday. Just like they talk every single night.

“You really are a piece of art, Dante.” He chuckles warmly, but it turns into an uncontrollable coughing fit. “You know when I fell in love with you?” He let's the silence fill the huge room before he continues. “When you asked to be friends.”

Another coughing fit. Then another. Then one more. He starts to heave. Hyperventilating. An asthmatic attack. His airways get blocked and his shaking hands tremble as he tries to grab the receiver for help. Eyes bloodshot.

He doesn't want to die yet. Not before they meet again. Not before they hold each other one last time.

He ardently waits for the sun to rise.

The Painting cries.

The sun rises too late.

* * *

Twitter: [@CMiMiU](https://twitter.com/cmimiu) | Tumblr: [CMiMiU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13474071/cmimiu.tumblr.com/)| Ko-Fi: [Buy Me A Coffee](https://ko-fi.com/cmimiu) 

**Author's Note:**

> This idea just body slammed into me while I was reading about some Untranslatable Words. The original title eas actually that word that inspired me.
> 
> I hope everyone likes it despite the angst.
> 
> PS: They meet every single night. They always do. But everyday the boy from the painting has to leave.
> 
> Please leave Kudos and Comments down below.
> 
> Hit me up on Tumblr at CMiMiU or on Twitter at @cmimiu


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